The Gujarat High Court has introduced a priority mechanism for the hearing and disposal of pending cases involving people living with HIV/AIDS, according to a circular issued by the court’s Registrar General on October 8, 2026.
The arrangement follows an order by the Acting Chief Justice and directs applicants with HIV/AIDS-related circumstances to approach designated court officials in person during office hours. The process is intended to enable eligible cases to receive priority in hearing and disposal.
Applicants seeking priority will have to carry a positive HIV report issued by a government-approved laboratory, proof of identity and all documents connected with their case. The circular also requires applicants to contact the relevant officials of the Gujarat High Court directly for the request to be considered.
Male applicants have been asked to approach Additional Registrar Harshadkumar M. Patel. Female applicants have been asked to contact Additional Registrar (Administration) Sujitra Rajan. The instructions apply to pending matters before the Gujarat High Court and also cover parties conducting their cases without legal representation, according to the report.
The court has published the circular on its website to inform applicants and self-represented litigants about the procedure. The requirement to submit medical documentation and case papers creates a defined administrative route for seeking priority rather than leaving the request to informal communication with the registry.
The Gujarat High Court said the decision was taken with reference to directions issued by the Supreme Court in its September 26, 2023 judgment in Civil Appeal No. 7175 of 2021, CPL Ashish Kumar Chauhan (Retired) versus Commanding Officer and Others. The circular also refers to Section 34 of the HIV/AIDS (Prevention and Control) Act, 2017.
The Act is specifically cited in the court’s instructions, linking the priority arrangement to the legal framework governing the prevention and control of HIV/AIDS. The circular therefore combines a judicial direction with an administrative process for identifying cases that may qualify for expedited attention.
For litigants, the immediate requirement is to approach the court during office hours with the prescribed documents. The court’s instructions do not indicate that every case involving a person living with HIV/AIDS will be decided immediately; they establish a process through which such pending matters can be brought to the attention of the designated registry officials for priority hearing and disposal.
The Gujarat High Court’s publication of the circular makes the procedure available to applicants and self-represented parties without requiring them to rely only on informal notices. Further action on individual matters will depend on the documents submitted and the court’s handling of each pending case.
